School Days
by Free water-drop wind
Summary: Alexis, now Shun, was a sensitive person. Granted, he could have ended being reborn in worse places so he really shouldn't be complaining. But a sports anime? A Basketball anime. He could just feel the disbelief rolling off his pores. There was No Way he'd willingly be involved in this. [01: Blue] "He had an admirable Poker Face for a middle schooler" Reincarnation fic, Teiko Days


**School Days.**

 **Summary** : Alexis, now Shun, was a sensitive person, and granted, he could have ended being reborn in worse places so he really shouldn't be complaining. But a sports anime? A Basketball anime. He could just feel the disbelief rolling off his pores. There was No. Way. He'd willingly be involved in this. Teikou days. Reincarnation fic, OCs. No OC pairings.

 **Warnings:** Well, no pairings as of now; you can leave suggestions, if you really must, but Shun is off limits. This is going from Teikou arc, there will be canon divergence, but I'm unsure how much would it count, since plot base is the same. I'll be adding warnings at the start of each chapter, if needed.

 **Notes** : Which would you like best? Varying canon characters narrating the story most of the time, with Shun dashes, or Shun narrating most of the time, with canon dashes?

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 **Prologue:**

Blue

* * *

As an anime fan Alexis had very little social life, or rather, it was the other way around.

Because Alexis Salazar barely filled the average social quota for a higher education human being, he decided watch anime and swim on the free time available.

His life was honestly nothing to take note of: Slightly dysfunctional family (A controlling father, one jobless aunt, his annoying cousin, and Scrooge McDuck Grandmother. He was… Who was he to his family? He _had_ to be someone.), above average grades (English was his best, History his worst), fairly good relationships with everyone he met (he had no best friends to speak of), and then his fair share of internet friends with who to tell his woes.

Thus after going through the five stages of grief over his own death, Alexis expected to stay at the warm, almost comforting darkness that surrounded his nonexistent body for eternity. That's how it went, right?

Wrong.

He was expulsed excruciatingly slow from limbo (which turned out to be his new progenitor _womb_ ) and went fast-forward his first eight years of life through many, many blackouts. Later on Alexis found out he was in a fictional world, and if the graphics where anything to go by, an _anime_.

Reiterating, Alexis on his past life was an avid anime fan. Following that logic, he would have been absolutely _elated_ to be born into an anime world- and said logic was not wrong, however...

a) He was fairly positive it was a sport anime.

b) He had always been a sensitive person, and as such, he was offended he was not thrown into a swimming anime, he would have aced it.

c) Follow up of the second one, he really liked this mother he had, so when the following scene happened, he decided he was _not_ willingly involving himself with said sport.

 _"Mama?" Little Shun asked cautiously, scooting closer to his mother as they walked by the crossing center. Droopy eyes watched as the numerous posters and advertisements show cased the one sport in particular on mid-winter._

 _He was honestly somewhat scared -_ because Alexis Salazar was not good at any earth bound sport, or any other sport besides _swimming_. Would he be useless here? – _And thus voiced his suspicions. Hoping against every nearby media meant nothing "Why is_ ba-su-ke _everywhere?"_

 _His mother, the angels bless her, merely blinked down at him curiously as he squeezed her hand. Seconds later, she smiled down at him softly "Because, Shu-tan," she squeezed his hand back, and gradually, he came to notice her eyes didn't hold that cheerful shine they had before._

 _Shun felt his little heart crumbling to pieces, all comical dread gone as his mother crouched down to look at him in the eyes. "Japan loves the game very much." She paused to take a deep breath, now cradling both of his tiny, cutesy baby hands in her gentle, bigger ones._

 _This didn't feel right; why were her eyes getting shiny? No, no don't cry. Why was she so sad? Why was this important? It was just Basketball._

 _With his mother's next words Shun came to a much, much horrifying realization than his earlier concerns._

 _"Japan loves the game very much" she repeated to her child "Just like your dad dearest does, and just how I love you."_

He had been sucked into a sports anime, and true to the troupes, Mizumoto Shun (previously named Salazar Alexis), and his single mother Mizumoto Kotone, were the living proof Basketball reigned supreme before anyone and anything else, even family.

Feeling betrayed, Shun vowed that in this life, he would have _no_ involvement with basketball from that moment on— not to say he wouldn't play sports at all. This world after all, was born from a sports anime. Maybe he wouldn't be as abysmal on ball games this time around.

With this overly dramatic promise to himself, Shun decided that in this life much like his previous one, he was going to commit to take care of his single parent. He would take care of his mother like no one else (like his obviously blind father in this world _did not_ ).

That said, Mizumoto Shun forgot one major detail, the same detail he had been marveling over in his reasoning above.

He was in a _basketball,_ sports anime.

* * *

"Mama, Okaeri!" Shun called out, rushing out of his room and over the kitchen to hug his mother, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Tadaima, Shu-tan" she ruffled his windswept bangs and let him hug her for a minute or so, afterward she tried prying him off her. And shake him (lightly, of course). And shove him (with the barest of touches).

Heaving a fond, albeit majorly exasperated sigh, she tugged his new middle school uniform "Shu-tan, I brought groceries, remember?" one moment she was still being embraced, the next there was a distinct lack of Shun and one opened fridge.

Kotone watched in amusement as her son stuck his head inside the fridge, trying in vain to find today's groceries "Shu-tan" she giggled, pointing with a dainty hand at the living room table he had bypassed "Everything's on the table, I haven't organized yet."

She snorted, trying to keep her laughter down when he made a noise of distress when he couldn't get out of the fridge. His hair was stuck on one of the shelves "Alright, don't move." She side stepped the crooked chair that her son, in his rush of scurrying to the kitchen, had previously bumped on and opened the fridge door wider.

Lo and behold the messy bun that had no doubt, dozens of pins holding it together was stuck on the sliding edge of the shelf. In an instance like this, she wondered why a boy so active like her son wanted his hair long, it always caused a myriad of troubles for him "Dear, I love your hair as much—"

"You keep trying to cut it off" he accused immediately.

"—As you do, but don't you think it'd be easier if—"

"What did I just say?"

"Stop interrupting me, Shun. Don't be rude, you're _twelve,_ dearest." She chastised, pulling his hair free and closing the door.

Thanking his mother (and apologizing with a red face), Shun began taking the ingredients they wouldn't need for breakfast out of the bags. The fridge door was opened once again, this time to shuffle the groceries in.

"Your hair is lovely, really" she commented out of the blue, a few strands of his straight, thin hair that remained in the sliding shelf were soon sacrificed to the trashcan "But because it's long, you need to cut it more often if you want to keep it." She reminded him gently, busying herself with preparing the batter for breakfast.

For his part, the teenager ( _almost_!) continued making breakfast, multitasking between keeping an eye on the recently poured pancake at the stove and setting the table "I do," He agreed with hesitance, watching as she flipped the pancake "But last time we got a haircut was last week, mama. I don't think I've any broken ends _right now_." He stressed the words while patting his bun, making sure the pins would keep it from falling.

The brunette meanwhile took some juice out the fridge, momentarily forgetting about their little banter as she noticed how foreign their breakfast was looking. Pancakes with marmalade and juice. Shun had curious favorites, she decided.

Mid-flip she remembered their discussion, almost throwing the pancake onto the floor much to Shun's horror "Doesn't it bother you?" she insisted, ignoring the worried whine behind her as she caught the pancake "When you go out on your morning runs…" she hummed, trailing off as her mind went elsewhere again.

He took a quick glance back from cleaning the cups, shooting a quizzical look at her mother, who was doing what Shun dubbed as her 'thinking pose'. Her eyes were up to cloud nine, as if connecting to whatever planet she was connecting to today, and a dazed expression on her round, droopy eyes.

Silver eyes shifted to hand, which was still holding the pan _very_ loosely.

' _Better get that out of the way.'_

Just as he turned the stove off and placed the pan away from her, his mother brightened instantly as if a switch was turned "Oh! And if you join a sports club this time, it will get in the way, won't it?" she looked so proud of her conclusion with that wide, lazy smile of hers, that he almost relented.

"Last year I joined a sports club" He said instead, placing the first plate of food down.

His mother grabbed her own plate, seating across him. Kotone calmly shook her head "You joined as… An assistant? Or…. A towel boy…?"

"Because I joined late, the last club with a spot to fill was _basketball._ " He offered as an explanation, keeping his voice low (sadly, he couldn't keep the bitter turn of it and mother sagged slightly in her seat, looking downhearted—he looked away).

Much to his surprise, she didn't comment, and following suit neither did he. It wasn't until he muttered a low 'ittadakimasu' when she spoke again "Shun." Her voice was soft, but it still managed to startle the tense teen.

When he looked up, she was looking directly at him with enough concern it difficult to hold her gaze "Didn't you like sports? Base, Soccer, Volley…" ' _Basket'_ she left out.

Her lips quirked up, not quite a smile but it was there. "You worshipped the ball when you were younger"

 _"Basket, you worshipped basket when you were younger"_

* * *

Making his way to school, Shun continued on his journey of trying to find where he was.

For easier comprehension, no, he was not referring to the school, but rather the anime he is supposed to be in. ' _Does it really matter?_ He wondered ' _I'm trying to go against joining the plot after all… It's Basket'_ not that he knew what the plot was… Or who the characters where… Or…

He sighed, knowing it was a lost cause. To begin with, Alexis had never liked sports anime (should he be thinking of 'anime' as documentaries now? Shun _is_ living in one) due the continuous exposition often presented, or lack thereof in others. For him, anime had always been hit or miss, and that particular genre was a miss.

 _'Besides, it's way too early to be thinking about that, right? I'm in Middle school'_ Now much more relaxed, worries were buried away for a later date "Teikou…" he read the entrance plate, looking at the school with wide eyes. ' _This is ridiculous-sized for a Middle School'_ —or he was tiny. He wasn't sure of which was more likely.

Peeking beyond the entrance, he noticed there were barely any kids walking inside. Looks like he arrived earlier than planned "I don't see the schoolboard" he grumbled. That's where he could see what classroom he was in, right? "Who could know…?"

Scanning the slow flow of students, his eyes quickly shifted to the nearest brightly colored mop of hair and jogged over. Sometimes it's nice the world was so colorful, decisions were easier that way "Good morning" he greeted the kid with a book, stopping in front of him. He was only slightly shorter than Shun "I was wondering if you knew where schoolboard—I mean—where the first years can… Check in what classroom they are…?" he finished lamely, stumbling over his sentences with dwindling confidence as the boy didn't so much look at him.

He frowned "Um, excuse me?" he called unsure, brows knitting when there was no response at all. His frown deepened.

Straightening his back, he gently pushed down the book with his index finger " _Excuse me_." He was frim this time, satisfaction creeping in as the kid's eyes widened and looked at him "Sorry to disturb you, but—would you know where the schoolboard is?"

Silence.

He watched in confusion as Book Boy kept staring at him, as if frozen "… _Aoi_ -san?" he waved a hand in front of the kid with light _blue_ hair and crystalline eyes. Finally, after what seemed an eternity (a minute and half), Book Boy reacted, giving Shun the most admirable _Poker Face_ a Middle schooler could have.

' _That's anime for you'_ Shun shivered ' _Oh no, don't tell me this kid has a tragic past to match? Or is that only the main cast? … Does it even work that way with sport anime?_ '

"I apologize" Book Boy said as he did a shallow bow "I wasn't expecting anyone to notice."

' _So formal_ ' Shun had the feeling this was where a sweat drop on the side of his face would appear "It's alright. Although," arms crossed, he rose an eyebrow at Book Boy "Notice what, exactly?"

"Me." Book Boy shrugged.

"Oh" He said it so naturally that Shun almost accepted it, keyword: Almost.

"Wha- _Excuse me_?" he fumed, feeling affronted "What do you mean not notice you!? You _definitively_ stand out!" His voice was escalating higher and higher, meanwhile Book Boy seemed to become more amused by the second (It was hard to tell. He was just assuming raising eyebrows meant amusement) up until the last sentence, where he got that look of stupefaction Shun was quickly associating with the kid.

"I—" Shun blinked, noting Book Boy was getting… Flustered? "The schoolboard is in front of the lockers, right by the stairs." Book Boy pointed toward the front building, adopting a somewhat disgruntled version of his earlier poker face.

' _I can't even tell if he's just shy or if he just doesn't like me'_ looking at Book boy from head to toe, Shun cocked his head aside, thinking.

Eventually, Shun spoke again, unaware of the uncomfortable atmosphere he had created with his silence "Aoi-san. Is this your first year?" he perked up when Book Boy nodded. Maybe they could be friends—but he wasn't sure yet, he had to narrow it down. Anime fate could be tricky.

Shun nodded "If we end up in the same classroom—or club. I'd like to be friends with you." It took all he had, for him not to burn down at the cheesiness of his words. ' _I'm a kid, its okay, I'm a kid. I can be cheesy.'_ "Give it some thought, please. Just in case."

Thanking Book Boy for the information, he began walking to the school entrance with the rest of the children.

* * *

Kuroko Tetsuya stared at the stranger's back with unease. First and foremost, he felt confused. Confused and… Cheated.

From preschool to elementary, Tetsuya had been disregarded by both, classmates and teachers. Ogiwara had been the first to reach out to him, and with time, become _used to_ his lack of presence. He had commended it even, both of them working on how he could integrate that into a style he could play in. Or so they brainstormed, since they didn't have a team to test theories out with.

But now, this (Future classmate? Although still with that queasy feeling at the pit of his stomach, a nicer, warm feeling sparked at the thought. He said they could be friends. Tetsuya dismissed the curt, business like echo his words had when the other didn't blow a fuse) stranger came up out of nowhere and told him he ' _stood out'_? If Tetsuya hadn't been raised like a level-headed person, he would have, without a doubt, felt angry and offended, maybe wronged.

Nevertheless, what ifs don't last with Tetsuya, so the thought disappeared as fast as it came.

Instead he felt cheated by the world. If he really 'stood out' as stranger said, why was he ignored (No, that's the wrong word; ignoring implies he was noticed first, and then found unpleasant. He wasn't sure which was worse) throughout his childhood? Silver-eyes (He called Tetsuya Aoi—was it his eyes or the hair?) had to be lying; but why would he lie? He just met Tetsuya, and even then, it was by chance he didn't know where the schoolboard was.

It was a chance encounter, just like Ogiwara. This did mean something? He offered being friends, so maybe…

Heaving a sigh, his book was closed and tucked inside his bag. When he looked up, there were more people starting to come by, the groups were getting larger too. Soon enough there would be a crowd wanting to get inside the school premises and Tetsuya would have difficulties maneuvering between people not to get Knocked Out.

He decided to check the schoolboard himself, walking inside the main building.

Once in front of the schoolboard (Silver-eyes wasn't around… Was it too early to be disappointed?) He had to scan thoroughly the paper to find his name.

' _The classrooms, they follow the exam score list'_ He noticed with surprise. Was this school competitive? "… That's right, I was the sixteenth on the score list. I should be in the first classroom." Following upward the list, sure enough, he found his name on the top classroom, the first one on the list.

"Oh… I'm fifteenth." out of curiosity, he read the names below his.

15# Kuroko Tetsuya  
16# Chairo Ayako  
17# Mizumoto Shun  
18# Shiromu Hayato

A sweat drop fell down his face "All of our surnames have colors." What an odd coincidence.

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 **Reviews are much appreciated, until next time!**


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